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United States Patent | 5,254,701 |
Falling ,   et al. | October 19, 1993 |
Disclosed is a process for the production of an equilibrium mixture of 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and 4-hydroxybutanal by a two-step process comprising (1) heating 2,5-dihydrofuran in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a phosphine, ruthenium or rhodium to convert the 2,5-dihydrofuran to 2,3-dihydrofuran; and (2) contacting 2,3-dihydrofuran with water in the presence of an acidic catalyst to convert the 2,3-dihydrofuran to a mixture of 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and 4-hydroxybutanal. Also disclosed is a process for the continuous production of an aqueous solution of 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and 4-hydroxybutanal. The mixture of 2-hydroxytetra-hydrofuran and 4-hydroxybutanal may be catalytically hydrogenated to produce 1,4-butanediol.
Inventors: | Falling; Stephen N. (Kingsport, TN); Phillips; Gerald W. (Longview, TX) |
Assignee: | Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY) |
Appl. No.: | 702483 |
Filed: | May 20, 1991 |
Current U.S. Class: | 549/475; 568/483 |
Intern'l Class: | C07D 307/20; C07C 045/59 |
Field of Search: | 549/475 568/483 |
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4539415 | Sep., 1985 | Mueller et al. | 549/475. |
5008408 | Apr., 1991 | Fischer et al. | 549/475. |
Foreign Patent Documents | |||
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